Maison dite "Pénanault"
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison dite "Pénanault", located in Morlaix (Département 29), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Morlaix, Département 29, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.5814, -3.8303
- Mérimée Reference
- PA29000055
A Breton Renaissance mansion overlooking the quays of Morlaix, Maison Pénanault combines ashlar and terraced gardens to create a striking portrait of 16th-century merchant opulence.
History
Overlooking the bustling quays of Morlaix, the Maison Pénanault embodies with rare elegance the prosperity of the great Breton merchants at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. Neither a feudal castle nor a simple bourgeois residence, this urban mansion occupies a singular position in the town's architectural landscape: halfway between a country manor house and an aristocratic residence, it bears witness to social as well as architectural ambition. Its massive stone silhouette, planted facing the harbour, displays the success of those who made their fortune in the cloth and wine trade, which was the glory of Morlaix for two centuries. What really sets the Maison Pénanault apart from other historic houses in the town is the subtle relationship between the building and its grounds. Where other houses are content with a courtyard, Pénanault features an exceptional system of five garden terraces stretching around the back of the house, carved out of the rocky escarpment. This landscaping, which is extremely rare in an urban setting, is reminiscent of Italian gardens and gives the whole complex an almost seigneurial dimension. From the foot of the quays to the crest of the hillside, the property is a veritable microcosm of the city-port. At the heart of the building lies what may have been an old watchtower, incorporated into the main construction to serve as a stairwell. This ingenious reuse of an earlier structure is the sign of a long-term project, in which each generation has been able to work with the existing structure without betraying it. The alterations carried out between the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth centuries refined the residence without altering its soul. For the curious visitor, the Maison Pénanault offers a glimpse into the intimacy of Morlaix as a merchant town, far removed from the usual tourist clichés. The ashlar facades stand in harmony with the waters of the port, which the family once watched over from their windows. The atmosphere that emanates is that of a town that for centuries managed to turn trade into culture and wealth into stone.
Architecture
Maison Pénanault is part of the tradition of ashlar mansions typical of late-Renaissance North Brittany. The building is distinguished by its dual nature: a sober, massive main building, designed in the vocabulary of the aristocratic manor house, and an incorporated ancient tower that breaks the regularity of the plan and gives it that irregular picturesque appearance so dear to Breton architecture. The quayside façade, facing the port, features a rigorous composition punctuated by mullioned windows characteristic of the transition between the Renaissance and Louis XIII styles. The major originality of the architectural design lies in its use of relief. Behind the courtyard, carved out of the rock, are five garden terraces that transform the escarpment into an almost theatrical setting. This system of terraces, supported by masonry retaining walls, reveals a certain mastery of the art of gardening and a knowledge of contemporary Italian and Loire projects. Each level offers a different view of the residence and the surrounding urban landscape. The alterations carried out between 1782 and 1834 introduced elements of the classical style into the interiors, particularly the woodwork and joinery typical of the late Ancien Régime and First Empire. Local stone - probably bluish granite from the quarries of the Morlaix region - is the dominant material used in the construction, giving it a mineral severity tempered by the finely sculpted details of the window surrounds and cornices.
Related Figures
Famille Pénanault — négociants morlaisiens commanditaires présumés de la demeure à la fin du XVIe siècleMarchands de toiles de Morlaix — classe sociale dont la prospérité a rendu possible la construction de tels hôtels particuliersPropriétaires anonymes du XVIIIe siècle — auteurs des transformations de 1782-1834 qui modernisèrent la demeureService régional de l'Inventaire du patrimoine (DRAC Bretagne) — acteur de la reconnaissance et de la protection du monument en 2006
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison dite "Pénanault" located?
Maison dite "Pénanault" is located in Morlaix, Département 29 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Maison dite "Pénanault" built?
Maison dite "Pénanault" dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison dite "Pénanault" open to visitors?
Maison dite "Pénanault" is currently closed to visitors.